It was a tale of contrasts as rival skippers M.S. Dhoni and George Bailey shared their views on Friday’s ICC World Twenty20 Super Eights Group II match. Dhoni erased his usual euphemisms and even had a sharp retort on Australia’s ‘chin-music.’ Bailey, meanwhile, was all grace and even laughed off the query on him being benched during his stint with the Chennai Super Kings. Excerpts:
Dhoni’s tough words:
Five bowlers: “We most probably will play with five bowlers, but what combination depends on conditions and the wicket.”
Who to axe: “It’s one of the toughest decisions that I’ve taken so far but we have to see what fits the combination.”
Australia’s ‘chin-music’: “From the last five years whenever we have had press conferences we say some new things but they have been talking the same. Most of our players have played decent number of ODIs, T20s and Tests and they know what to do. But the short ball is as much of a trouble to us as it is to anyone else.”
The pitch: “I haven’t seen a lot of turn but it depends upon how the wicket is prepared and we will see how it looks before the game.”
Bailey’s gentle replies:
A familiar foe: “He (Harbhajan Singh) picked up wickets the other night but if we focus on him too much then we may not focus enough on Ashwin or one of the quicks. All the Indian bowlers are pretty good.”
Dhoni’s repartee on ‘chin-music’: “If they know that is coming against them then it loses its effect so we got to balance it. Yes certainly we play a few fast bowlers and in that repertoire you can expect a few bouncers.”
India’s losses in Australia: “That Test series and the one-day matches will not hold any relevance. The way India has played Twenty20 over the last few years, if anyone is tough then it is certainly them.”
Under-currents from being benched with CSK: “(Laughs) That is part of the IPL. You can only play four foreign players. One of the things I have taken out of Chennai is that we play the same team and it’s like the Australian team. We don’t change on a whim.”
